Part I: The Price We Pay For Friendship
Yugi glared at Pegasus with pure hatred. How could anyone steal other peoples’ souls? But this man was Maxamillian Pegasus and for some reason, he thought that made him better than everyone else. Well Yugi would just have to prove him wrong. It was time to duel!
“Pegasus,” Yugi exclaimed with extreme determination, “it’s time to duel!” Suddenly, the previously dormant Millennium Puzzle on Yugi’s chest flared to life. It emitted a light so blinding, even Pegasus averted his eyes at the sight of the light. What was left was a young man resembling a more mature Yugi. Yami Yugi!
“So, little Yugi, the stakes are your Millennium Puzzle for your friends’ souls?” Pegasus asked in his mocking yet gentlemanly tone. “But, before you agree, I have a little twist, the captured souls will be monsters in battler each of us controlling half. And,” Pegasus said with a sneer, “the ones that die remain trapped for ever!”
Yugi’s jaw dropped. What a preposterous offer, but how could he refuse. They were his friends, and Kaiba. Even Kaiba had some merit.
“You’re on!”
“Good little Yugi, then you shall have your duel. Even if it does cost you your dear Millennium Puzzle,” Pegasus mocked.
“Enough talk Pegasus, it’s time to duel!” called Yugi confidently, “and I promise my friends will be free.”
Clouds swirled around them as they made the short journey to the Shadow Realm. Pegasus had been too prepared for this duel for Yugi’s liking. He had chosen the spot, the stakes, and even special rules. But how could Yugi oppose the duel? He just had to win.
“I chose the arena so, Yugi, you may get your first choice at the special monsters.” Suddenly laid out before them was a dueling table and on it were seven cards: Kaiba, Joey, Bakura, Téa, Tristan, Mokuba, and Mai.
“I choose Joey, because his devotion will help me win this game.” The Joey card’s effect was to sacrifice it to put a Flamed Swordsman into play.
“Well, if you want the puppy dog, but I’m going to take our little champion Kaiba.” The Kaiba card read ‘Sacrifice this monster, discard Polymerization, and pay one fourth of your life to special summon the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon into play.’
“Then I’ll choose Bakura, because his mysterious power within himself makes him one of the strongest cards.” Magic or trap cards could not target Bakura.
“Good choice, little Yugi, I’ll take Mai.” She could be sacrificed to destroy all cards in the opponent’s magic and trap zone. That left Mokuba, Tristan and Téa.
I’ve got to choose Mokuba, but that means Pegasus will get Tristan or Téa. What should I do, oh Grandpa, I wish you were here. I’ve got to do this for you. “Pegasus, I will take Mokuba!” Mokuba forced the opponent to play with their hand revealed.
“So, you finally took the little brat, he was never useful to me anyway, just a puppet, like you soon will be Yugi. I choose your friend Tristan. His ability to special summon a Futuristic Space Fighter: Vic Viper to field will fit perfectly in with my deck, and look what I’ve got,” Pegasus exclaimed holding up a Vic Viper card.
Yugi snarled at Pegasus, “You better return that to Tristan when I beat you!”
“Oh come now dear Yugi, let’s not be impolite,” mocked Pegasus, ever a catalyst.
“That leaves me Téa and her ability to bring back to my hand one magic card. Let the dueling begin.”
The table displayed 2000 on either side, Yugi’s and Pegasus’s face looming over it. It was a more of a block than a table, made of solid marble. There were light spots on the table where the cards went. Setting his deck down, Yugi began to meditate. After about two minutes a golden eye glowed on Yugi’s forehead. It resembled that of the one on his Millennium Puzzle. Again, the light was blinding. When it finally faded, Yugi was dressed like the Dark Magician. In his hand was the staff of dark magic, his favorite card’s deadly weapon. With his other hand, he drew five cards. The Dark Magician, Mystical Elf, Mokuba, one magic card, and one trap.
“Make your move Pegasus.”
Taking his hand, Pegasus laid one card face down in the magic trap zone, and one monster facedown in defense mode.
“Your turn Yugi, I guess you got me.”
Drawing a card, Yugi peered at it, Silver Fang. It would do him no good right now. Yugi set the Mystical Elf facedown in defense mode and placed the trap card in a magic/trap zone slot. Pegasus’s eye twinkled, but at the same time, the Millennium Puzzle flared and left the creator wincing.
Pointing his staff Pegasus, Yugi exclaimed, “Make your move Pegasus, but be careful.”
Pegasus slipped the top card from his deck into his hand smoothly. Examining his hand, the owner of Industrial Illusions selected two cards and placed one facedown and one face up in the magic/trap zone. “I play Toon World, and then I summon the Blue Eyes Toon Dragon,” he said laying down a monster card.
Suddenly, the table came to life, expanding into a standard sized holo-dueling stadium. Yugi was pushed away from Pegasus, and then lifted off the ground to the common official dueling position. The field was now a haunting, cartoonish city opening from the pages of an extremely large book. Inside it, perched atop a tower was the BETD.
“I have nothing left to do, except use my Man-Eater Bug’s flip effect, and destroy your face down monster. I hope you weren’t planning, on using it Yugi?” mocked Pegasus.
Yugi dropped his hand to his deck and it returned with a Jar of Greed. “I play the Jar of Greed,” Yugi exclaimed, drawing two more cards. He pulled up Last Will and Reborn the Monster. “Well, Pegasus, the joke’s on you because I will play De-Spell on your Toon World, killing your dragon. Then, I’ll…” Pegasus’s eye twinkled again. This time, the puzzle didn’t react! “…play the Dark Magician.”
“Well, I’ll play my own little magic, the 2000 card and I choose…”
“Wait, I also have something more, I activate Magic Jammer and discard Silver Fang. Then, I’ll attack your small bug; Dark Magician, dark magic attack.” Pegasus didn’t say a word, just flipped over the remaining card in his magic/trap zone: a Mirror Force. And there was nothing Yugi could do but watch his spell caster be destroyed by the force of it’s own attack.
“Then,” Yugi said, “I’ll play Last Will which allows me to special summon one monster to the field from my deck, and I choose this one.” He rifled through his deck until he came upon a card and laid it facedown in defense mode. Shuffling the deck he said, “Your turn.”
-Two Turns Later-
Pegasus drew and laid down Kaiba with an attack power of 2000. Then, to Yugi’s horror, he sacrificed it and discarded a Polymerization. Into play came the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon and the number on Pegasus’s side of the table went to 1500. “And,” Pegasus said, “I’ll attack your Witch of the Black Forest.” Yugi’s jaw dropped, how did he know? “Go ahead choose your monster little Yugi.” Yugi again searched the deck, but this time, he was forced to reveal the monster: Téa. Taking the card, he placed it in his hand and again shuffled the deck.
“Your turn, little Yugi, but think carefully before you do anything,” said Pegasus, laying two cards face down in the magic/trap zone.
Yugi drew, a Giant Soldier of Stone. This will do me no good he thought, against such a monster, but I can’t give up. Wait!
Pulling one card from his hand, he laid it down in the magic/trap zone. “I play Reborn the Monster on your Kaiba card. Then, I play Kaiba and sacrifice him, pay one-fourth my life points, and discard Polymerization to special summon the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. I’ll then flip-summon my Téa to return Reborn the Monster to my hand. I have nothing to say but make your move Pegasus!”
Pegasus thought for a moment after drawing a card, “’Tis a pity I didn’t duel you longer Yugi, it might have been interesting.” Then, taking a card from his hand and laying it on the field, Pegasus exclaimed, “I play the Giant Growth card on my BEUD which doubles it’s attack power, making 9000. Good game little Yugi. BEUD, Superior White Lightning attack.” The three-headed behemoth opened all three of its mouths and let loose one simultaneous burst of the powerful attack in the history of duel monsters. When it was over, Yugi Moto sat shivering on the ‘ground’ —though it could hardly be called that— of the Shadow Realm. Looming over him was Maxamillian Pegasus, his most hated enemy. Pegasus delicately plucked the Millennium Puzzle from Yugi’s neck. Placing it around his own neck, Pegasus, let loose an evil laugh that made Yugi wish he were dead. He had failed everyone he ever cared about. Now he would never see them again!
Then, he heard a strong confident voice…
COMING NEXT: DISCARDED SOULS PART II: THE VOICE OF REASON